§ LORD BARNBYasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the required minimum width of urban two-way streets where the parking of motor vehicles is permitted.
§ LORD CHESHAMNo minimum width has been laid down because the decision on whether parking should be permitted depends on balancing the needs of moving and waiting vehicles according to local circumstances. In a memorandum to local authorities the; Ministry gives the following advice:—694WA
It is difficult to lay down any hard and fast rules as to the widths of road required for the imposition of unilateral waiting restrictions. Normally it is found that in a two-way road a width of 30 feet at least is required in order to provide for two moving lanes, for waiting on the permitted side and for occasional stopping for access on the prohibited side. In busy towns with a high proportion of wide commercial vehicles and buses a minimum width of 34 feet may be necessary. If, however, stopping for access purposes is infrequent, widths between 24 feet and 30 feet may be suitable, and on comparatively rare occasions a road width less than 24 feet has been found to be reasonably satisfactory, on the basis that traffic has been relatively light and moving vehicles have not been seriously inconvenienced by the occasional temporary check in their passage along the road.House adjourned at half past eight o'clock.